1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a boat propulsion system, a control device thereof, and a control method. Specifically, the present invention relates to a boat propulsion system provided with a shift mechanism of an electronic control type, a control device thereof, and a control method.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional device includes a shift mechanism of an outboard motor that is operated by an electric actuator to change a shift position, as described in JP-A-2006-264361, for example. An electric actuator connects or disconnects a dog clutch to perform a shift change among forward, reverse, and neutral in the shift mechanism, as described in JP-A-2006-264361.
A boat is accelerated, decelerated, or stopped only by a shift operation being performed in the boat. Specifically, when a boat is to be accelerated, decelerated, or stopped, a shift change is performed to a shift position on a side opposite to the present shift position to generate propulsive force in a direction opposite to a proceeding direction of the boat.
However, when a shift change is performed in a direction opposite to a proceeding direction, a rotational direction of a propeller shaft is reversed between before and after the shift change. Therefore, when a shift change is performed to a direction opposite to a proceeding direction, a load is generated on a power source, a power transmission mechanism, and so forth. In particular, if the rotational speed of the propeller is high when a clutch is reconnected, the load generated on the power source, the power transmission mechanism, and so forth becomes large when the shift change is performed in a direction opposite to a proceeding direction.